How can we best educate others about the impact of violence on boys and young men of color?
Wednesday, March 04, 2020As members of the Healing Justice Alliance, we believe all boys and young men of color (BYMOC) deserve to be treated with dignity and respect, especially those who have been victims of violence. We know that, in order to heal, they must have unfettered access to support services when they need them. And yet, we know a lot needs to change for this to be a reality, as many of the young people we work with have been treated poorly as they interact with our systems. If this experience of poor treatment by systems that are supposed to serve them is a result of misconceptions by the staff at these institutions about young men of color, and their experiences with violence, we started to wonder: What would it take to change that narrative? This brief contains research and recommendations for creating messages that bring compassion and healing to the fore.